New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-19
SOME WHAT STIFF IN HIS MANNER.

STRANGE CASE OF BOwERY "FREAK BLIND
AND MOTIONLEss BUT WANTS TO MAKE MONEY.
What Jonathan r. Bass wants TO 90 on living for Is
more than anybody ind out. He has not been
out Of bod for thirty years and tho prospects
that he will only get cut when tho undertaken re-
moves him. There is a strong probability, however.
IL he should live much longer and keep up the shrinking
process that is going that undertaken
will not be able to find anything to take away.
Johathans histsry Is peculiar one He was born in
Lsckport, N. Y, In 1880. and for the first
few years of his life was strong and
healthy. He could rum jump and
wrestle better than any bsys In his neighborhood and
had appetite that made his mother rejoice that he
the last Of his When about seventeen years
old he stepped on sharp stone and the skin On his right
foot slightly abraded. Immediately sensa-
tons that resembled the shock from
electric current passed up and down his lex
This peculiar sensation was followed by about four
menths of agony The pain then suddenly left
him and gave way 20 more startling symptoms. His
skin became cold and as white as marble. HIS flesh
seemed to melt away from his bones
As he grew thinner his appetite increased and he could
eat much four men. His toes became as hard as
iron stuck together II glued and could net be msved.
The knee joints and then the hips gradually became so
firmly set together that motion impossible. Jona-
thans health remaned good all the time, while his flesh
seemed TO shrivel up and De absorbed Into bone.
The ossltcaton next appeared in the hands and passed
up the locking the jol u firmly together. Then
passed downward to the rios that theT seemed like
cylinder OF corrugated sheet iron. The spine was next
attacked and became as stlf as ramrod. and all
motion from the hips in any direction was abso-
lut-ly suspended Tho head was the last
affected. but finally the laws became locked as II in
tsanus. This male the whole body solid bone with
the exception OF the abdomen the walls Of which became
thin that the of the intestines could be
plainly throu IN It. The completed ossicaton took
about nine years to form, leaving Jonathan entirely
helpless lie went to bed and has not got up yet This
ovsr thirty years ago.
discovered by u " freak hunter and brought
to this city Monday aud is now IN sne or tue Bowery
museums. a TRBUNE reporter him last evening.
lie bed usual lie IS never moved out
OF bel. travelling, as there Is danger
ia moving hia around tnat he might break into
lilo became blind eikheen years age and weighs sixty
pounds The reporter took him by the back OF The
head aud raised hun in the bed He came up on his
els without bend anywhere. peculiar
pnase OF the disease. it Is advancing
now. IL that the cxtrcmes are becoming sett
he nails his left han about ten Inches long ana
twisted Ike a corkscrcw.
the reporter tried raise his Leg quickly, he SAID
that lie thousnt it had snipped of at the
hip. Ills appetite Il as COOL as ever Ills
front teeth bean knocked cut so that food can
c pas through. lie likes solid fool cut tine, and
after rolling around on his tOnsde he swasw5 IT, lie
cannot chew. lie has not opened his mouth III fifteen
years. Jonathan likes glass Of gool whiskey, aud
when he little much he feels like f<htins. lie
hits any He says lie wants 70 make money 10